


The Bond

by sidewinder



Series: Future's Choices [2]
Category: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Early Work, Established Relationship, Fix-It, M/M, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 13:36:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13765269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sidewinder/pseuds/sidewinder
Summary: "I watched him kill you, master, as I stood helpless to stop him, to do anything." He opened his eyes and continued, "It was not an experience I wish to repeat. Once, as only a vision, was more than sufficient."





	The Bond

**Author's Note:**

> My notes on this story show that it was first published on May 30, 1999. Of course by now soulbond/lifebond ideas are beyond cliché, in this fandom and elsewhere, but at the time it was still pretty novel to explore with these characters!

His was the face of pure evil, the Dark Side incarnate. He fought with no restraints, no honor, no regard for the corrupting of his spirit through the dark forces he summoned. There was nothing left within him to corrupt. He was nothing but a hate-filled, hollow vessel for the Dark Side. His only purpose was destruction and revenge.   
  
Obi-Wan Kenobi had never imagined facing such an enemy. The Sith were the material of history and legend, an enemy long ago defeated...or so the Jedi had thought, so he had been taught as a child. Now, Obi-Wan and his master were caught in a battle with this remnant of the past--a battle for their lives, and the lives of those they were sworn to protect.   
  
He would not let his master down. He would not let **any** of them down.   
  
The Force surged through him as he fought, as he mirrored Qui-Gon's actions, acting in synchronicity with his master as they had always done, in every fight before. Yet this one was different. Their enemy--the Sith--was trying to use the Dark Side to break his opponents' concentrations. Obi-Wan felt the cold, sickening tendrils slithering around them, trying to constrict and sever the link between master and padawan, searching for any weakness.   
  
They ran, attacked, blocked deadly blows repeatedly. He could not stop to think. He could do nothing but let the Force guide him, act on instinct, anticipate his opponent's strikes. Yet he found this to be more difficult with each passing moment as the Sith's dark power continued to pummel him and confuse his senses. Had Qui-Gon ever faced such an enemy before? Obi-Wan wondered. His training had never prepared him for such an opponent, but he tried not to give in to fear. Even so, Obi-Wan could feel the connection to his master faltering, weakened under the stress of the attack   
  
He could not lose that connection! His life, and the lives of so many others, depended upon this battle.   
  
His moment of fear betrayed him, however; it was all the darkness had been waiting for. The Sith lunged at him and he lost touch with his master with a painful **snap** in his mind. His sense of balance disrupted, the next thing he knew he was stumbling, falling...   
  
...falling...   
  
At the last second he summoned the Force to soften his landing on the deck below. What should have been a bone-shattering impact left him merely dazed, and he quickly rose to his feet, determined to rejoin the battle...determined not to let his master down. He looked upward and sought out Qui-Gon and his opponent, seeing them continue the fight above him. He leapt up to rejoin them, propelled by the Force and by his need to aide Qui-Gon. His master needed him. The elder Jedi was a strong fighter but this challenge was too great to let him face it on his own. Obi- Wan raced after the two of them, reaching out for his master mentally, trying to reconnect.   
  
_I'm coming, master..._   
  
He ran after them, but his feet could not propel him forward fast enough. A split-second too late, the barriers hummed to life, separating him from the others.   
  
_No!_ he screamed silently in frustration. _Dammit, no!_   
  
Only one barrier separated the Sith from Qui-Gon, but many more stood between Obi-Wan and his master. Looking toward the dark figure, pacing like a caged animal and sneering at the two Jedi, Obi-Wan knew this had all been his plan.   
  
_Separate us...then take us on one by one...oh, master, please, be careful...wait for me..._   
  
Obi-Wan could not even reach his master mentally. The Sith was blocking him, and Qui-Gon was deep in meditation--waiting, calm, while Obi-Wan's patience was stretched beyond its limits until he thought he would go mad.   
  
The barriers cycled open and Qui-Gon leapt at the Sith. Obi-Wan raced forward yet was stopped at the last barrier, unable to do anything but watch. Qui-Gon fought with a ferocity Obi-Wan had never seen before, but still the padawan could see that alone, his master could not match the Sith's fury. Obi-Wan struggled in vain to use the Force to open the last barrier, yet it would not yield. He was not strong enough to open it.   
  
He gasped and looked on in horror as the Sith struck Qui-Gon on the chin, catching the Jedi off-guard. But it was nothing compared to the horror that then unfolded before Obi-Wan's eyes.   
  
**"NO!"**   
  
The scream was ripped from his throat as he watched his master fall to the ground, his life-force fading away as the Sith stood over his body in triumph.   
  
"Obi-Wan...Obi-Wan!"   
  
Still screaming, the padawan was shaken awake, though his mind refused to let go of the image of his master's death.   
  
"Obi-Wan, calm yourself! It was only a dream."   
  
_A dream?_ Confused, disoriented, Obi-Wan blinked and tried to slow his racing heartbeat. "A dream...master...?"   
  
In the darkness of their chambers, the lights dimmed for sleep, he was still able to see Qui- Gon's face just a few inches from his own. The elder Jedi's eyes were filled with concern. His touch was enough to make Obi-Wan shudder...   
  
_...As if I am being touched by a ghost._   
  
"Padawan. It is only me," Qui-Gon offered. "Relax, let it go. The dream is over."   
  
"Oh, master..." Relief flooded through Obi-Wan. He drew himself tightly against the other man's body, needing to feel the comfort of his presence, desperate to reassure himself that his master was alive. "Master..."   
  
He could not shake the chill that had taken hold of his heart, the touch of the Dark Side that he had felt so strongly in his dream...his vision. He knew that was what it had been: a vision of the future.   
  
"It wasn't a dream. It was prophecy," Obi-Wan spoke in a hushed voice. "I have seen the future...what awaits us on Naboo."   
  
"Do not rush to judgement, Obi-Wan; the future is a delicate thing. Visions can simply be a sign of the fears we must acknowledge, and then let go."   
  
"I know, I understand that well enough. But this...it was too real. Too clear. I have seen glimpses, shades of future events before, but nothing like this. Never with such clarity." He paused, taking a few moments to try to clear his head. He took solace in Qui-Gon's embrace, the calm he radiated, which helped soothe the young Jedi's anxiety. Qui-Gon waited patiently, saying nothing until his padawan was ready to continue. "Master, I saw...we were fighting the Sith. The one who attacked you on Tatooine. I felt such pure evil within him. I have felt the touch of Dark Side before but never so strong, never so focused in one individual--as if he were black hole, determined to absorb all light, to leave only nothingness."   
  
"Yes. The Dark Side is strong in him. Very strong," Qui-Gon agreed, and admitted, "I was rather ill-prepared to meet such a challenge when we first encountered him."   
  
"We are still ill-prepared to meet him. That is what I have seen. He will use the Dark Forces to separate us, and then..."   
  
"Yes?" Qui-Gon prodded gently.   
  
Obi-Wan closed his eyes and once more saw the lightsaber thrust into his lover's body. "I watched him kill you, master, as I stood helpless to stop him, to do anything." He opened his eyes and continued, "It was not an experience I wish to repeat. Once, as only a vision, was more than sufficient."   
  
If Obi-Wan's words surprised his master, Qui-Gon didn't show it. He merely reached out and brushed his apprentice's cheek lightly...and in his eyes, Obi-Wan saw a great sadness.   
  
_He knows I speak the truth. He knows this will happen!_   
  
"You have seen this as well," Obi-Wan stated more than asked, as comprehension dawned. "That is why I sensed unease in you before...why you allowed us this...indulgence...while on a mission." Earlier, Qui-Gon had surprised him by granting them the union of the flesh, something Qui-Gon normally denied his apprentice while they were on a mission. It had struck Obi-Wan as unusual at the time, but he had not thought to question it. Now, he understood, although the Jedi master answered him with only a vague confirmation of his fears.   
  
"I have only sensed that the future is...uncertain, padawan. However, we must not let our fears rule us as we go forward tomorrow. We must have faith in the Force, and let go of our fears."   
  
Obi-Wan clasped the hand still resting against his cheek, fighting back the desperation inside him, the tears of grief he felt for a man who was not yet dead. _I'm not ready to lose you! How can I go through with this mission if I know it will end in your death?_ he thought but did not speak. He had not seen how the battle would end. He did not know if he too would die at the hands of the Sith; he only knew that with his master dead, he would have nothing left to live for. There had to be a way, some way to keep the darkness from getting the chance to separate them...why else would the Force have granted him this vision of the future?   
  
The answer came to him suddenly. "Master, if the future is uncertain, I have but one request."   
  
"Yes?"   
  
Obi-Wan drew in a deep breath. "Before we reach Naboo, I wish to complete the Life Bond with you."   
  
Qui-Gon's eyes widened; with this statement, at least, Obi-Wan had surprised him. "Obi-Wan, you know that I wish nothing more than to share that bond with you, but now is not the time to take that final step. Not until after--"   
  
"--after the trials, I know that was what we agreed. But there will not **be** time then. If we do not do it now, I know we will **never** get the chance. The Life Bond is the key, our key to defeating the Sith."   
  
"But you are not ready--"   
  
"I am ready to face the trials, you said so yourself. Do you doubt I will succeed?"   
  
"No, of course not."   
  
"Then I am ready to take this step now. I have no doubts. I am certain of my feelings, my commitment to you. My love. For years now I have dreamed of the day when the Force could unite us truly as one. Do you not feel the same for me?"   
  
"Of course I do. My only concern has been ensuring that you truly wished to take this step, that you were mature enough to understand all that it entails. There is no way to sever the bond once complete--"   
  
"--except through death. I know. I accept this, for I can think of nothing that I want more in my life than to be forever at your side. Master," he implored, sensing Qui-Gon was still doubtful, "I know I am not as strong in the Force as you are now. Yet I cannot question the vision I have seen, and my knowledge that this is the only way to change the future as I have seen it. We need the strength of the Life Bond to meet our opponent and succeed. Will you trust in my conviction as I have often trusted in yours?"   
  
The master Jedi was silent for some time, studying his younger lover, his thoughts closed to him for agonizing minutes. But then relief flooded Obi-Wan's mind as Qui-Gon nodded his head gently. "Yes, Obi-Wan, I will. Though promise me that if we do this, you will not face the future with fear, only with faith in the will of the Force. Tell me this and I will complete the Bond with you tonight."   
  
"I promise. After all, there will be nothing to fear any more," Obi-Wan answered with a smile, reaching out to touch his master's face. Joy filled him, and he leaned in to claim his Qui-Gon's lips, to kiss him with all the power of his love and gratitude.   
  
Qui-Gon eventually broke the kiss, and murmured close to his apprentice's lips, "Then we should begin now. We may have just enough time before landing to complete what is necessary and to allow ourselves time to begin to adjust." Qui-Gon rose into a meditative position, the blanket falling away from his naked form. Obi-Wan did the same, sitting and facing his master, trying to calm his excitement. This was the moment he had dreamed of--the one he had waited for more than passing the trials, more than anything else in recent years. Perhaps all of his life.   
  
The Life Bond was the highest level of commitment a Jedi could make to another. It was the complete union of the Force between two beings that, when complete, would leave neither whole without the other. Though separate in body, their spirits would be united as one, able to share thought and feeling, able to amplify each other's abilities as needed. Obi-Wan could think of nothing he desired more than to share such a union with Qui-Gon, and he knew that if they could make this commitment, they would have the strength to meet the challenge before them. He **knew** this as he had never been so certain of anything before in his life.   
  
"What do I need to do, master. Lead and I will follow."   
  
"Give me your hands. We will meditate together, entering the deepest level of communion with the Force. Beyond that, simply trust me, and do not be afraid. No matter what you feel, trust that I am there. I will catch you if you fall...I will be there to guide you back."   
  
"Of course, master."   
  
Qui-Gon's large, warm hands clasped his own, and the connection was immediate, powerful. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and felt the Force flow through him...between them. He surrendered himself to it, following Qui-Gon through each deeper level of meditation, every stage he had mastered over his years of training. Gradually he lost all sense of himself in the ebb and flow of energy between them, until that was all he was aware of--the energy, the Force...and Qui-Gon. His master. His lover. His heart, and soon to be his soul.   
  
He was not afraid.   
  
He knew nothing of what would come next. Only a master such as Qui-Gon possessed the knowledge and ability to manipulate the Force to complete a Life Bond. Such knowledge was not revealed to a padawan because of the danger and risk of misusing it. He trusted his master completely and surrendered to his will, to the will of the Force.   
  
After some time, he heard his master's voice in his mind.   
  
**It is time. Are you certain you wish to do this, Obi-Wan? Assure me once more.**   
  
_Yes, Qui-Gon. My master. I love you, and I am ready._   
  
**As am I, my beloved. Where there were two, there will be only one.**   
  
Silence.   
  
Nothingness, like the empty vacuum of space between galaxies.   
  
Emptiness and peace.   
  
And then...   
  
Light, so bright, blinding, searing his eyes. Chaos erupted all around him, as fire seared his body, leaving him in agony.   
  
Infinite, unthinkable pain screamed through him; he felt as if the Force were tearing him asunder, ripping him apart, scattering his body and mind in a thousand different directions at light speed, scattering him like the stars in the sky...   
  
_QUI-GON!_ was the last thought he managed, before the chaos consumed him entirely.   
  
And it was over.   
  
There was no more pain, only a feeling of falling, of his scattered thoughts and being coming back together, but in a new pattern.   
  
**I will catch you when you fall, Obi-Wan.**   
  
A new tapestry of life.   
  
_Master?_   
  
**Yes. I am here.**   
  
Entwining with the pieces of another, he felt himself becoming whole again, creating one where before there had been two.   
  
_Qui-Gon..._   
  
**Yes, Obi-Wan. Now...It is done.**   
  
He opened his eyes, feeling dizzy as the world came back into focus around him.   
  
He could see Qui-Gon sitting across from him, just as before. And, at the same time, he could see himself through his master's eyes, see the look of wonder on his own face. It was making his head spin. Exhausted and feeling ill, he collapsed onto the blanket with a groan. "Master..."   
  
**Shhh, the disorientation will fade, give it time,** Qui-Gon assured him, gathering the young apprentice's body delicately against his own.   
  
_I should hope so, and that the time will pass quickly. Being in two places at once is rather...confusing._   
  
**You will adjust. Center yourself back into your body, you can do it. Just relax, and let the Force guide you there.**   
  
He followed his master's instructions, and then sighed in relief as he felt his sense of balance return. His head was still buzzing, and he could still feel the Bond between them like a new sense. Thankfully, though, he no longer was feeling so nauseous.   
  
"Better, now, yes?"   
  
"Yes. Although you could have warned me a little better about what to expect. It rather felt as if I were dying, and in a most unpleasant fashion."   
  
"In a way it is dying. Dying and rebirth." Qui- Gon's lips brushed his ear, his neck, his gentle kisses spreading reassuring warmth through Obi- Wan's body. **Now, we really must try to rest, padawan. Give the Force time to complete the Bond.**   
  
"Yes, master." _Thank you, for this gift._   
  
**No, my beloved. Thank you for wishing to share yourself with me. You bring me such happiness; you complete me. We will shape the future together, Obi-Wan.**   
  
_Yes, we will..._ the young Jedi thought back, before surrendering himself to his body's need for rest.   
  
Nothing would stand between them now.   
  


* * *

  
They moved and struck against the enemy as one. The dark power of the Sith thrashed against the Jedis' senses, trying to fight their bond even as he struck at them individually with his lightsaber. Yet now, unlike in the dream, Obi-Wan fought with no fear. No desperation. All he felt was the calm certainty that they would win. The power of the Light Side coursed through his body and his master's, uniting them, driving them to act in perfect unison. There was no thought, only feeling. No struggle to maintain their Bond, no chance for their enemy to break what had been forged by the Force and their love.   
  
When he had awoken after the bonding, he had felt a strength such as he'd never before imagined. He could reach out at any moment and share in Qui-Gon's thoughts and feelings. The closeness, which before they only could reach at the height of passion, now filled him without effort. Now, as they fought, that closeness ensured their success against the solitary foe. When Obi-Wan would begin to falter, within a heartbeat he could feel Qui-Gon's strength surge through him, bolstering his efforts. When he sensed his master close to making the slightest misstep, he would lash forth and divert the Sith's attention, or propel his master to correct his movements.   
  
Back and forth, the Force resonated between them.   
  
Leap. Spin. Strike. Defend. Move. Protect.   
  
Every movement on instinct, every act by the will of the Force.   
  
The Sith's mask of rage did not frighten Obi-Wan. His anger and hatred could not cloud the Jedi's mind. The darkness could not touch him, could not cause fear to take hold. Thoughts of his nightmarish vision were now far behind him, because he knew he and Qui-Gon had changed the course of Fate this day. The Dark Side would not have a victory, not even a partial one.   
  
Pain shot through his arm--the Sith had managed to land a glancing blow on Qui-Gon, and the pain echoed through the padawan's body. He summoned the Force to give his master the strength to ignore the pain, to continue the fight.   
  
**Thank you...** the thought flashed through his mind.   
  
_Not your time, master. Not this time,_ he answered as he charged against the Sith not with rage but with his senses afire with the Force.   
  
His opponent was strong, but not ready, alone, to meet their combined strength. Eventually, the Sith made a small misstep, his foot landing only partly on the edge of the narrow platform above the power core. Without hesitation Obi-Wan struck forward--and in an instant, found his lightsaber buried deep into the dark warrior's chest. Fiery eyes blazed into his for a moment, and then the wounded Sith fell backwards, tumbling off the platform.   
  
Obi-Wan watched the Sith fall, until the body was swallowed by the black heart of the pit. Qui- Gon's hand rested upon his shoulder, as his eyes traveled the same path.   
  
They stood in silence until Obi-Wan finally felt the tinge of pain in his left arm again and observed, "Your arm..."   
  
"Not serious. We can tend to it later."   
  
Obi-Wan could not lift his eyes yet from the pit below them. "I feel no triumph in his death."   
  
"You fought not out of rage, but in defense. Killing is never easy for one who follows the Light, nor should it ever be. Yet sometimes, it is necessary." Qui-Gon squeezed his shoulder, and Obi-Wan felt a wave of affection from his master. _You have made me proud. You will be a great Jedi, Obi-Wan, greater than I, someday._   
  
**But only because of you, master. And never without you with me.** Obi-Wan tried to reach out and feel any tremor in the Force, any indication that their dark foe was dead. But he could feel nothing. "I want to believe we will not see this one ever again, that he truly is dead. Yet why do I sense that this fight is not over?"   
  
"I share your suspicions. The struggle against the Dark Side is eternal. Until the Force can be united, this battle will never be finished." He heard Qui-Gon let out a sigh, and then the master said, "Come, Obi-Wan, it is time to ensure our allies meet with success and have captured the Viceroy. We must make sure Anakin is still safe."   
  
"Yes, of course." The boy...he would accept his master's dedication to training this one. He knew there was no way Anakin could come between them now. He would even help his master instruct the child, even if the council opposed them both.   
  
Obi-Wan turned away from the pit and toward Qui-Gon...his other half. _We will battle the darkness together. Always._   
  
**Yes, always. Together.**   
  
The two Jedi smiled, sharing knowledge of a future that was now theirs to create. And as one, they ran and hurried to rejoin the fight.   
  
_End_   
  



End file.
